Finding Peace
by Arpegius
Summary: (Based off of DBM U3, pg. 671) Tapion has been saved by the benevolence and curiosity of the vengeful Doctor Raichi. Now that his beast has been sealed, he seeks to forge his own path across the stars, and to save his savior in the process. To be updated weekly.


"What are you going to do now, son?"

For some reason, that question was difficult to answer. He hadn't ever, even in his wildest dreams, imagined that he'd end up in such a woeful situation in such a strange state. Inside of him, a monster stirred and dwelled and wandered and roamed, waiting for the day it might be able to overwhelm him. It was true that the good doctor had managed to suffocate and drive the beast down, but something told him that he'd need to access its power later. It was more than wishful thinking to believe that one day he could suppress it by himself, without the doctor's technology.

He glanced to the little device, strapped across his wrist. It flashed and sparkled in the light, which was provided by a huge conglomeration of glowing globules contained by the glass behind him. He wasn't quite sure what they did or what they were for, but something told him that he didn't really care to know in the long run. The good doctor wasn't too open about his plans, even when they involved helping him out, not that the strange spheres in the background were meant to aid him. He flicked his wrist and averted his gaze toward the seemingly organic bridge he was seated atop.

"I really don't know... My little brother was killed, possibly centuries ago?" His voice echoed across the chamber, lips just barely touching to signify that he was about to continue, regardless of how much that thought haunted him. Minosha was dead now, having been murdered under some far away sky, alone and afraid. The boy turned a man now clenched the fabric of his pants tightly in his fingers, fighting back the urge to go silent. He had started to speak, and he had known what he was going to say; it was no use to stop in the middle of his explanation.

"Even if I return to Konats, it won't be the same place it once was," he spoke through a bundled veil of nerves and concern. Even if he returned to his home world, it would not bring back the dead or the forgotten, nor would it solve any of his problems. The dull glow in his eyes withered and shook as he continued to stare down at the floor, weathering the silence between them as long as he could. Finally, when it seemed almost as if things were going to stay that way forever, the old man's robotic voice croaked over the sound of beeping machines and whirring gears.

"I know that feeling. Whatever you do, the dead won't come back."

The silence returned, and Tapion slowly found himself nodding, face solemn and worn with worry. That was more than true; it was somewhat painful, and yet somehow comforting. The dead would not come back, whether he grieved or growled or groaned or grew. The best he could do was to continue forward, though that was not something he presently felt like doing. His boot-tips slid along the strange flooring as he continued to stare downward, head bent and body tense.

"Yes, I know."

He swallowed back the grief for a fleeting moment, and brought his eyes to bear on the old man, who hovered just above his own flooring, mangled body protected from the universe around him by technology that exceeded Tapion's understanding. He still hadn't figured out how the Doctor operated, how he worked and how he had become so melancholic, but something told him that he'd learn more about him as time passed. However, now was not the time; he needed something to do. Anything to take his mind off of the strange set of circumstances that had brought the pair together in the first place.

Sighing, he stood. His entire body felt stiff, as if it hadn't seen use in years. It was very reluctantly that he admitted the fact that it was probably the stress placed upon him as of late; battling the demons of his past had been a little more than he'd been prepared to handle. He'd been more than fine with being locked in a music box for the duration if his existence, and somehow, that had already begun to sour the new "lease on life" he had received. That was not to say he wasn't grateful, it was just that... Well, things were complicated. Immensely, immeasurably complicated.

"It doesn't change anything, does it?"

Despite the initial lack of congeniality between the two of them, Doctor Raichi understood Tapion well enough to know that he was feeling restless. The strings of fate drew the universe together in ways more foreign than the young man had ever known.

"No, I guess it doesn't," he answered honestly, voice still hanging on by a thread.

To his people, he was a hero; so why was he acting so timid? He felt like a predator, scared into submission by something far larger than he could comprehend. It was just so _frustrating_; so hard for him to grasp. He hadn't been born a warrior or a fighter, nor had he ever been the type to use violence as a solution to his problems. He turned his head toward the ceiling, which rose up far beyond him (like so many other things), and watched it glitter like the night sky. It formed constellations of its own and seemed to change every few seconds, rearranging and keeping itself in some form of motion at all times.

It seemed that it, too, understood his feelings.

"I'll need a ship, if you don't mind that is," this time he spoke more boldly, not bothering to meet the strangely soured gaze of the illustrious Doctor behind him. Somehow, he figured that neither of them were up to looking at each other for the moment to come. He would've called it a hunch, but it was far different from that. It was something else entirely. Not a suspicion, but a tingling feeling.

"Don't worry, boy. You can have your pick of them; I've nowhere to go, and no one to see even if I had somewhere to go."

"Thank you, it means a lot to me; everything you've done for me, I mean," and that was true.

Doctor Raichi had done him more than just a great service, he'd more or less reshaped his world, which was something that he'd never be able to forget. Perhaps one day he'd be able to repay the older man, fix the sorrow that so clearly dwelled within his heart. For now, however, that would have to wait. He needed to get off of the planet, find somewhere else to go and find something else to occupy his time. As much as he was grateful to the elder fellow, some things just weren't meant to stir and stew in one place for too long. Some travel would do him some good.

"I think I'll leave in the morning, if that's alright," it was not a threat, nor was it meant to be. Most his age would have considered it an ultimatum, used it as leverage. He knew that his...friend...would understand what made him need to leave. It wasn't supposed to sound childish.

"That'll be alright. Take your time, child."

* * *

Raichi's palace afforded him no morning sunlight. He was gently woken by the sounds of artificial life whirring around in his chambers. The word 'chamber' sounded too limiting, almost as if he were in some strange palatial prison. His eyes slowly opened in the dimness of semi-darkness, paying no mind to the stiffness in his neck or the soreness in his body. Still, he wasn't going to let that impede him. He'd been stiff and sore before, for more malicious reasons than the dark machinations that had been so keen to dance around in his head during the night. They were of little consequence in the scheme of things.

So he rose, his body slowly adjusting to the waking world while he took the time to gather his things and give the room a final, cursory inspection. He hadn't figured he'd grow so attached to the place, but something told him that he would be seeing it again; so leaving didn't bother him very much. Giving the room a grin as he left, Tapion drew a deep breath to instill some strength within his wavering resolve. He almost didn't want to leave; he knew he'd have a home here, and for some reason, that made him feel tethered. Thankfully, this feeling had already begun to fade by the time he'd reached the end of the hallway that led to the Docking Bay.

He walked out into the shuttle bay to see a gigantic ship waiting for him, prompting a feeble grin from the weary lad, who now strode toward it with a hesitant curiosity. Raichi hadn't lied when he told him it was _his_ choice, though that didn't mean that he had many choices. Perhaps he should have known better, though the humor was not lost on him regardless.

The ship hovered over the ground, massive and spherical. Glowing rods lined the sides and four thin legs, which seemed to be emitting some strange, glowing particles. Clearly, they were what kept the ship aloft, though he had no idea what they were or how they worked. He'd have time to figure it out; all the time in the world (or rather, world_s_). Approaching the massive ball of glowing steel, Tapion ran his hand along the nearest leg, feeling the material with a technical curiosity. He didn't even know what it was made of, and that made the differences between his and Raichi's knowledge all the more apparent. He was a musician, not a scientist.

Hopefully, the good doctor had left him a "how to".

When it occurred to him that he didn't know how to enter the ship, a strange hatch released several meters away, dropping a little disc to the ground. It appeared that the disc was attached via pole to some kind of room, but Tapion hadn't yet been able to ascertain what it was. It was probably some kind of engine room or something like that. The Doctor seemed fairly straightforward in his designs. At least, that was what he'd figured out so far. For all he _really_ knew, this wasn't even the ship he was supposed to take.

Again, the ship responded to his mental prodding, prompting the reveal of a specialized nameplate, which seemed to decorate each leg in the same glowing red text.

"Minosha," Tapion read the text with another feeble grin, unable to contain himself. The Doctor was a good listener, that much was assured. He was about to sail the stars on a cruiser made with his brother in mind; it slightly reassured him that it, like the real Minosha, was here to guide him. The wonders of technology seemed to know no bounds, especially when the patriarch of intergalactic science was heading the way forward through advancement.

He stepped onto the little disc and ascended into the ship without the lingering hesitance that had been so reluctant to leave him. He was in good hands, hands more benevolent than fate and yet more vengeful than any other. Perhaps with time he would learn to pry those cold hands apart and reveal the beating heart within; perhaps that was wishful thinking, but a lot of the things in his life had been wishful thinking. He hadn't figured that he'd get rid of the demon that now found its home inside of his wristlet, but that had come to pass.

The disc came to a stop inside of what appeared to be a massive hall, far larger than the ship's already massive exterior would suggest. On both ends it split off into several different hallways, which apparently led to different sections of the vessel. Clearly, the older man had neglected no luxury for his new 'friend'. Was that what they were now? Allies, most definitely. If there was anything that Tapion could do to repay the Doctor, he'd have done it in a single beating of his heart. It was just that simple, really. He owed the man a debt, and he always made sure to repay his debts (not that he had many to begin with).

He walked in the direction of the section entitled "Navigations", his eyes constantly wandering to examine the wonders of his new ship. By the time he reached the navigation chamber, he hadn't figured on being _able_ to be more impressed. He found himself proven incorrect within seconds. Lights whirred and flashed in front of him on a myriad of consoles, though the main console seemed to have a path illuminated to it. Small robotic creatures glided over the floor and made their way around the variety of panels at his disposal, handling basic operations that seemed to keep the ship afloat.

He was beyond impressed.

When he approached the main console, a massive galactic map opened up in front of him, displaying millions of little flashing lights that were each little planets in the universe. There was so much; he felt the red hair on the back of his neck raise. He was overwhelmed by everything unloading before him, everything sprawling out in front of his eyes. He hadn't ever been exposed to such a vast world; he'd been sitting there thinking that travel would be interesting. Nobody had ever told him that it'd be so daunting. How had he made it seem like such an easy decision last night?

"It can be a lot more difficult than it looks," the robotic voice chimed in from behind him... The truth was, it looked difficult already.

He looked over his shoulder, eyes latching on to the Doctor's holographic image. At least, that's what he figured it was; when he'd first seen it, he'd wanted to call it magic. He'd been so naive- he was still naïve.

"Would you like me to help you out?"

"You've helped me so much already, Doctor."

As the man's finger extended to drag across the stars, Tapion had the utmost confidence in the man's ability to charter a pathway for him. It was better to be a conducted orchestra than a wandering melody.

* * *

_A/N: This is supposed to be a fanfiction-based version of a section of a fan-manga and novelization known as "Dragonball: Multiverse", specifically sections centering around the adventures of Tapion and Doctor Raichi from Universe 3, after the sealing of Hirudegarn into Tapion's bracelet, up until the onset of the Multiverse Tournament. I've no idea if this is accurate or whether or not it ever will be considered accurate, but I personally found it to be an interesting enough concept. If you have any questions or concerns about this project of mine, feel free to ask in the review sections or shoot me a message. I intend to release chapters on a weekly basis. New chapters (excluding this chapter) will be uploaded by around every Friday night at 8 PM EST._

_If you'd like to help write or plan "Finding Peace", contact me via the ways aforementioned. I also observe the DBM comments section every day, so I can also be reached by replying to one of my comments there._

_I do not own DBM, DBZ, or any of the characters created by Akira Toriyama (or Salagir of DBM). _


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